Journal bearing lubricator



Nov. 3, 1953 F. P. TAGLIAFERRI ET AL 7, JOURNAL BEARING LUBRICATOR Filed May 1, 1952 l I f /8 I I LJ' F h A INVENTOR.

Eemvc/s T6152 flTTORNE H Patented Nov. 3, 1953 JOURNAL BEARING LUBRICATOR Frank P. Tagliaferri and Francis T. Gier, Baltimore, Md.

Application May 1, 1952, Serial N 0. 285,502

1 Claim.

This invention relates in general to journal lubrication, and in particular to an emergency lubricator for railway car journals, and other journals having similar problems of lubrication.

In practically all types of modern journal box constructions, the weight of the superimposed load is transmitted from the journal box itself to the end of the associated axle through means positioned above the axle and including a bearing, generally semi-cylindrical in shape. While the bearing is fabricated of some suitable antifriction metal, the axles are always of steel, and in the event that dust and dirt penetrate into the journal box in sufficient quantities or in the event that the lubricant supply fails wholly or partially, or for both reasons, the coeflicientof friction between the rotating axle and its bearing may be raised with the result that large quantities of heat are generated, thus causing the well known hot box.

Emergency lubricating devices have been suggested for use in combination with journal box construction, but such appliances have not come into common use, largely by reason of the fact that extensive modifications of existing journal boxes have been required.

' Previously, oil saturated waste material was placed in the journal boxes as a means for retaining the lubricating oil and distributing the lubricant over the surfaces of the axle and bearing of railway cars. Due to irregularities of the surface of the axle and perhaps due to other causes, any fibres, dust or dirt which may collect on the axle or get between the bearing and the axle will eventually clog up the bearing, wiping the oil 01? the axle. Furthermore, the waste or fabric becomes glazed along its top surface and sometimes carbonizes slightly to almost stop the flow of oil through capillary action within the lubricator to the surface of the axle. In any such case the journal bearing usually becomes hot as formerly mentioned and necessitates immediate attention. This problem of lubricating the journal boxes on freight cars in particular has shortened the length of non-stop hauls on the railroads. Felt cloth mounted in the bearing box has been suggested as a substitute for the waste, but the fabric must be in a manner such that it will remain in uniform engagement with the axle and be spring pressed to take up wear in its use. Metal springs have been employed to accomplish this purpose. The springs lose their resiliency and wear outand are inefi'icient inope'i'ation and costly to'maintain. The. springsbear' unevenly on the felt, with the spaces in between" the springs not properly supported. These unsupported spaces between the springs cause the felt cloth to disintegrate and fall apart and become stringy,

In accordance with this invention, an emergency cooling and lubricating means is provided which may be applied to conventional journal box construction without substantial modification or rearrangement of the parts thereof; The new appliances can be incorporated in journal boxes under construction at the point of manufacture of railway rolling stock or may be applied easily and conveniently to rolling stock now in use. The invention is simple in construction and practical and provides a safety means which is not only inexpensive in its first cost but which may be applied at minimum cost.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a new and improved lubricator for railroad car journal bearings.

A further object of this invention is to provide a lubricator which may be easily inserted and removed from a journal box for general maintenance purposes.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved lubricator for railroadcar journal bearings having a thermostatic valve control means for supplying an additional oil supply to the bearings at predetermined intervals to prevent overheating the bearings and causing a hot box.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a new and improved lubricator for railroad car journal bearings which will not shred and clog therein to cause a hot box therein.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a new and improved lubricator for railroad car journal bearings having an auxiliary lubricating supply for the bearings controlled by a temperature operated valve.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a new and improved bearing lubricator of such material that it is non-soluble in oil and capable of long continued use and of such a structure as to promote capillary action of the oil therein to feed said oil to the journal.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a lubricator having a natural resiliency,

.. such that it will take up wear and remain in uniform engagement over the surface of the axle to feed lubricant thereto.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which is sufliciently flexible in nature to permit its easy insertion in or removal from a conventional railway journal box, which is proreservoir, 2, second spring connected at one end to the same end of the horizontal lever as the first mentioned spring, a fusible member embedded in one of said bearing elements, and a connection between said fusible member and the free end of the second mentioned spring, both springs normally tensioning the horizontal lever in a position in which the valve closes the channel means, whereby when the fusible member melts due to heat in the bearing members said second spring is freed and the first spring causes pivotal movement of the horizontal lever to open the valve and allow oil flow to the resilient substance.

FRANK P. TAG-LIAFERRI. FRANCIS T. GIER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 135,213 Evans Jan. 28, 1873 10 2,291,483 Miller July 28, 1942 

